The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hardy garden pink or carnation that is grown for use as a flowering plant for pots and containers and for planting in the garden or landscape. The new cultivar is known botanically as Dianthus×hybrida and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘WP08 NIK03’.
‘WP08 NIK03’ is a complex hybrid plant that is the product of a breeding program started by the inventor in 1985. The breeding program is conducted in a cultivated area of Houndspool, Dawlish, Devon, United Kingdom. The inventor selected ‘WP08 NIK03’ in 2003 for its extremely compact habit and its early-blooming large fully double magenta-colored flowers.
‘WP08 NIK03’ resulted from the controlled pollination between two unreleased and unpatented varieties, namely Dianthus code number ASH21 as female parent plant and Dianthus code number 99.24 as male parent plant.
‘WP08 NIK03’ is distinguishable from the female parent as follows: The female parent has semi-double carmine flowers.
‘WP08 NIK03’ is distinguishable from the male parent as follows: The male parent is taller in height and bears only single flowers which are colored pink.
The variety of Dianthus which is considered by the inventor to most closely resemble ‘WP08 NIK03’ is the inventor's variety Dianthus ‘DEVON PP11’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,919). ‘WP08 NIK03’ is distinguishable from ‘DEVON PP11’ as follows: ‘WP08 NIK03’ is shorter than ‘DEVON PP11’ whose flowers are semi-double and lavender colored.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by the inventor in 2003 in a cultivated area of Houndspool, United Kingdom. The method of asexual propagation used was vegetative cuttings. Since that time the characteristics of the new cultivar have been determined stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.